Chapter 62: Haruma Kuuusaaka!

Chapter 62: Haruma Kuuusaaka!The ball soared through the air with a wave of cheers echoing out loud around the stadium. The ball began to descend at the field, when a Fukuoka player came running, leaping up high, broughting the ball down by his chest to let it settle on his feets, before wasting any further second, with great reflexes he switched the ball to the left just in time, evading what could’ve been a perfect tackle from Zora. With tensed focus, that Fukuoka player fired the ball to his striker who was on up front, wasting no time, the striker unleashed a powerful shot from the distance in a desperate attempt to score. But, this time Makoto surged forward, launching himself into the ball’s route, taking the full impact of that shot on his back, successfully blocking the shot in mid flight. The ball soared up high in the air when both a Fukuoka winger and Kabuto ran towards it, leaping into the air, slamming their shoulders together in a fierce contest. The descending ball met with the Fukuoka winger’s head, who with a roar fired it sharply, sending it straight towards the right exposed side of nets. But the Black Kallor Kurogami reacted almost instantly, launching himself into a perfect dive at the right side with an outreached arm deflecting the shot with a brilliant save. The crowds erupted once again in joyous cheers, Kento with a pumped up energy was yelling out loud with electrifying excitement. The ball went to Zora who wasted no time, immediately, launching it back to the play with a solid well-aimed clearance. Kurogami quickly got back on his feets, brushing the dirt off his jersey. When Kabuto came to him with an extended hand, the two exchanged a firm clap before Kabuto began to run back to his position... The game continued with a Fukuoka player having the possession, as he cautiously passed the ball to his teammate, who received it scanning the field ahead only to spot Kabuto and Haru guarding the backline like immovable sentinels. Gritting his teeths, he quickly redirected the ball back to his teammate, who began advancing forward with caution until Zora came clashing his shoulder in with a powerful shoulder challenge. But with sharp reflexes, the Fukuoka player sidesteps Zora, performing a successful dribble to glide past him. Just as that Fukuoka player regained possession and began to move forward, his eyes widened, his feet didn’t have the ball! In a flash, he stumbled, completely thrown off balance, His eyes remained wide in disbelief, until he noticed Itsuki already beside him, whose foot had already intercepted the ball with a precise tackle. Before that Fukuoka player could process anything further, the ball had already rolled at Zora’s feet who immediately fired a sharp pass back to his teammates, giving the momentum back to Tokyo. The ball was rolling loosely across the field when Izaya with immense concentration came sprinting in gaining the position and kept pushing forward until in one sudden motion he applied brakes on his sprint to find a couple of opposing players on his face slowly closing in for tackle. Izaya with a slight smirk, faked a move to the left but sent a crisp pass to the right back from where Jiho came sprinting gaining the control. As those two Fukuoka defenders slightly shifted to Jiho thinking he’ll carry the play, their eyes widened in shock as Jiho had already sent a pass back to them. Before the Fukuoka defenders could react, Izaya smoothly glided past through a small gap between them, breaking their defensive walls with ease, about to receive the pass. Just the two defenders began their charge behind Izaya, he quickly sent the pass back to Jiho who was now getting flanked, closed in by another Fukuoka player. Izaya found himself trapped between those two defenders, cutting his route to forward. The ball was still rolling towards Jiho when that flanking defender lunged in for a sliding tackle at the ball. But Jiho reacted almost instantly, flickering the ball with his heel, redirecting it more to his right side, before jumping up, leaping over that sliding tackle, evading the challenge with split second timing. The ball rolled to the right from where Nagisa came sprinting in striking it hard, launching a powerful cross towards the right side of the penalty area. As the ball was soaring through the air, Raya made a blistering sprint towards its path which was heading near the nets. Sensing the danger, The goalkeeper and a defender immediately rush to intercept. Just as the ball began to descend, Raya came running positioning himself perfectly under the descending ball, leaping up high to head it inside the nets. The goalkeeper sprang himself upward, outstretching his arm, guarding the right side of the nets, while other defenders scrambled to seal off the left. Suspended mid-air, Raya seems frozen in time, eyes wide with immense focus watching the right side being covered by the goalkeeper and left by the defenders. The entire stadium held its breath, a heavy silence sweep across the stands, as all the eyes remained locked on Raya, airborne form. The ball gracefully floated towards Raya’s head, who didn’t go for a goal, instead he redirected it back, outside the box with a calculated header. Out of nowhere, like a predator chasing his prey, Haruma came blazing in at full speed, swinging his leg for a volley kick, leaving all the defenders and the goalkeeper in utter disbelief. Haruma’s foot meets the ball like an explosive force of nature, the connection so fierce that it seems to shake the very air, dust lifting off the ball as impact echoed out like a thunderclap across the field. With his teeths gritted, eyes blazing with blazing focus, Haruma fired the rocket right towards the heart of the nets, watching the ball slicing through the air cutting past every defender before slamming into the back of the nets with such ferocity that it almost snapped the nets. Jaws still gritted with intensity, Haruma walks a few steps forward before kicking the grass as if releasing the fire pulsing inside him. The stadium exploded into thunderous cheers once again, the air crackling with the immense roaring from the crowds with electrifying energy. At the edge of their seats, Kento, Masaru and Takanami all together leaned forward letting out a thunderous yell, their voices united in raw emotion, pride and adrenaline. ’Its a hattrick! a hattric! hattrickkkkk!’ The commentators went wild in the commentary box, voice bursting with uncontainable excitement. Minato sensei began clapping, letting out soft joyous laughs. Beside him, Raon, overwhelmed with adrenaline, could no longer hold himself back, as he evaded the field running towards Haruma. In a heartbeat later the rest of the bench players followed, evading the field with in a wave celebration, charging at Haruma. Still standing calmly before the goalpost, Kurogami let out a faint smile before gracefully lowered himself to the grass, bringing his knees up and resting his arms across them, watching the thunderous celebrations from his team and the roaring stadium with cheer all around him, he sat calmly. At the VIP box Ameha was already standing on the very edge of the box, laughing out with delight, clapping out loud. While Shuya sat more slumped on his seat, silent and appearing to be defeated. Back in the stands, Toru and his friends were left blanked in silence. Toru’s eyes were slightly wide watched the scenes with slight heavy and shallow breaths, his breath lost somewhere in his throat. On the dugout, Shiori was now pumped up, roaring out loud in pure delight, clapping out loud. Rukia watched with a trembling smile, wiping her tears all along. Ayane from her house was bouncing on her feets with her cheers echoing through the room. Haruma with his head lowered, hair floating freely on his sweat drench forehead was taking slow steps forward, until suddenly a wave of his teammates came crashing into him. One after another they kept leaping onto him, piling over him in celebrations, engulfing Haruma in a mass of roaring joy and fierce hugs. At the end, Kabuto came running, leaping up at the highest of the pile, pumping his fist at the crowds, letting out a primal roar rallying the already frenzied crowds into a greater frenzy. Inside the commentary box, the commentator watched the atmosphere with eyes wide, filled with awe. He sat back on his seat, leaned forward towards the mic and with a calm tone he began. ’What more could you possibly ask for? What can you expect more from a high school kid playing his very first professional game? Coming out of nowhere scoring a hattrick! a hattrick within the first 45 minutes of his career! Nothing could define this moment better than just one word ’HOPE’... A hope of a better future for Japan’s football! A hope of a new star, rising above from the ashes, the golden demon! Haruma Kuuusaka!’